The College has in its archives much material that is of general interest, especially to its growing alumni. As much of this as possible has now being digitalised and is being published on this, the College’s Archive website.
In 1974 a group of parents from Abbey Gate School formed a committee to establish an Abbey Gate Upper School. The aim was to offer a grammar school curriculum in a co-educational setting and bring out the best in each child according to individual potential. There was no one offering this in the Chester area at that time. The way Abbey Gate College was founded is a vital part of its history and ethos and as much of the records and accounts of that time have been made available in the section The Foundation and Development of the College on the Browse page.
In the section The History of Saighton Grange and its Gardens there is material relating to the long history of the College’s buildings and gardens. Before the Norman Conquest the manor of Saighton was held by the Saxon monks of St Werburgh, Chester. In 1092 Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, transformed their church into the Benedictine Abbey of St Werburgh and Saighton became part of the abbey holdings.
Saighton also has a long association with Grosvenor family, owners of the neighbouring Eaton Estate, and some interesting articles relating to this period can be found here. They purchased it in the 1840s and Saighton Grange was completely rebuilt by the 2nd Marquess of Westminster; the medieval gatehouse built by Abbot Simon Ripley in 1489 was left untouched and became the porch to an entirely Victorian house; the west wing was begun in 1861, the service wing in 1867 and the east wing in 1876.
In the remaining Sections can be found access to all issues of the first school magazine The Saightonian and its successor The Broadsheet, up to Spring 2019, when it was published on the main College Website. There is an extensive photograph archive, including all whole school photos, and copies of all superseded Prospectuses. The College’s archive also contains many programmes from past services, Speech Days, drama productions and concerts and many press cuttings. It is hoped that in due course digital copies of these will be made available.
If anyone has copies of other material that cannot be found here and which may be of wider interest, the College would be very pleased to hear from them at marketing@abbeygatecollege.co.uk
"This site is still under development and still has material being added, especially to the photographs and Broadsheets sections".